Last updated on emc: 04 Mar 2020

What is a Patient Information Leaflet and why is it useful?

The Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) is the leaflet included in the pack with a medicine. It is written for patients and gives information about taking or using a medicine. It is possible that the leaflet in your medicine pack may differ from this version because it may have been updated since your medicine was packaged.

Below is a text only representation of the Patient Information Leaflet.
The original leaflet can be viewed using the link above.

The text only version may be available in large print, Braille or audio CD.
For further information call emc accessibility on 0800 198 5000.
The product code(s) for this leaflet are: EU/1/08/479/002, EU/1/08/479/001, EU/1/08/479/003.

Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start using this medicine because it contains important information for you.

Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.

If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or nurse.

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.

What is in this leaflet:

1. What ZYPADHERA is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you are given ZYPADHERA
3. How ZYPADHERA is given
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store ZYPADHERA
6. Contents of the pack and other information

1. What ZYPADHERA is and what it is used for

ZYPADHERA contains the active substance olanzapine. ZYPADHERA belongs to a group of medicines called antipsychotics and is used to treat schizophrenia - a disease with symptoms such as hearing, seeing or sensing things which are not there, mistaken beliefs, unusual suspiciousness, and becoming withdrawn. People with this disease may also feel depressed, anxious or tense.

ZYPADHERA is intended for adult patients who are sufficiently stabilised during treatment with oral olanzapine.

2. What you need to know before you are given ZYPADHERA

You should not be given ZYPADHERA if you have:

an allergy (hypersensitivity) to olanzapine or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6). An allergic reaction may be recognised as a rash, itching, a swollen face, swollen lips or shortness of breath. If this has happened to you, tell your nurse or doctor.

been previously diagnosed with eye problems such as certain kinds of glaucoma (increased pressure in the eye).

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor or nurse before you are given ZYPADHERA

An uncommon but serious reaction might occur after you receive each injection. ZYPADHERA can sometimes enter the bloodstream too quickly. If this happens, you may have the symptoms listed below after your injection. In some cases, these symptoms can lead to unconsciousness.

excessive sleepiness

confusion

irritability

aggression

difficulty talking

difficulty walking

convulsions

dizziness

disorientation

anxiety

increase in blood pressure

weakness

muscle stiffness or shaking

These symptoms typically resolve within 24 to 72 hours after your injection. After each injection you will be observed in your healthcare facility for at least 3 hours for the symptoms listed above.
Although unlikely, you may get the symptoms more than 3 hours after the injection. If this happens, contact your doctor or nurse immediately. Because of this risk, do not drive or operate machinery for the remainder of the day after each injection.

Tell the doctor or nurse if you feel dizzy or faint after the injection. You will probably need to lie down until you feel better. The doctor or nurse may also want to measure your blood pressure and pulse.

The use of ZYPADHERA in elderly patients with dementia (confusion and memory loss) is not recommended as it may have serious side effects.

Very rarely, medicines of this type may cause unusual movements mainly of the face or tongue or a combination of fever, faster breathing, sweating, muscle stiffness and drowsiness or sleepiness. If this happens after you have been given ZYPADHERA, tell your doctor or nurse immediately.

Weight gain has been seen in patients taking ZYPADHERA. You and your doctor should check your weight regularly. Consider referral to a dietician or help with a diet plan if necessary.

High blood sugar and high levels of fat (triglycerides and cholesterol) have been seen in patients taking ZYPADHERA. Your doctor should do blood tests to check blood sugar and certain fat levels before you start taking ZYPADHERA and regularly during treatment. Tell the doctor if you or someone else in your family has a history of blood clots, as medicines like these have been associated with formation of blood clots.

Tell your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following applies to you:

If you are already taking antidepressants, medicines for anxiety or to help you sleep (tranquillisers), you may feel drowsy if ZYPADHERA is given.

ZYPADHERA with alcohol

Do not drink any alcohol if you have been given ZYPADHERA as together with alcohol it may make you feel drowsy.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor for advice before being given this injection.

You should not be given this injection if you are breast-feeding as small amounts of olanzapine can pass into breast milk.

The following symptoms may occur in newborn babies, of mothers that have used ZYPAHDERA in the last trimester (last three months of their pregnancy): shaking, muscle stiffness and/or weakness, sleepiness, agitation, breathing problems, and difficulty in feeding. If your baby develops any of these symptoms you may need to contact your doctor.

Driving and using machines

Do not drive or operate machinery for the remainder of the day after each injection.

3. How ZYPADHERA is given

Your doctor will decide how much ZYPADHERA you need and how often you need to be given an injection. ZYPADHERA is given in doses of 150 mg to 300 mg every 2 weeks or 300 mg to 405 mg every 4 weeks.

ZYPADHERA comes as a powder which your doctor or nurse will make into a suspension that will then be injected into the muscle in your buttock.

If you are given more ZYPADHERA than needed

This medicine will be given to you under medical supervision, it is therefore unlikely that you will be given too much.

Patients who have been given too much olanzapine have also experienced the following symptoms:

rapid beating of the heart, agitation/aggressiveness, problems with speech, unusual movements (especially of the face or tongue) and reduced level of consciousness.

Contact your doctor or hospital straight away if you experience any of the above symptoms.

If you miss an injection of ZYPADHERA

Do not stop your treatment just because you feel better. It is important that you carry on receiving ZYPADHERA for as long as your doctor has told you to.

If you miss an injection, you should contact your doctor to arrange your next injection as soon as you can.

If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or nurse.

4. Possible side effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

Tell your doctor immediately if you have:

excessive sleepiness, dizziness, confusion, disorientation, difficulty talking, difficulty walking, muscle stiffness or shaking, weakness, irritability, aggression, anxiety, increase in blood pressure, or convulsions and can lead to unconsciousness. These signs and symptoms can sometimes occur as a result of ZYPADHERA entering the bloodstream too quickly (a common side effect that may affect up to1 in10 people);

unusual movement (a common side effect that may affect up to 1 in 10 people) mainly of the face or tongue;

blood clots in the veins (an uncommon side effect that may affect up to 1in 100 people) especially in the legs (symptoms include swelling, pain, and redness in the leg), which may travel through blood vessels to the lungs causing chest pain and difficulty in breathing. If you notice any of these symptoms seek medical advice immediately;

a combination of fever, faster breathing, sweating, muscle stiffness and drowsiness or sleepiness (the frequency of this side effect cannot be estimated from the available data).

Other common side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people) with ZYPADHERA include sleepiness and injection site pain.

Rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 1000 people) with ZYPADHERA include injection site infection.

The side effects listed below have been observed when oral olanzapine has been given but may occur following administration of ZYPADHERA.

Other very common side effects (may affect more than 1 in 10 people) include weight gain; and increases in levels of prolactin in the blood. In the early stages of treatment, some people may feel dizzy or faint (with a slow heart rate), especially when getting up from a lying or sitting position. This will usually pass on its own but if it does not, tell your doctor.

Other common side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people) include changes in the levels of some blood cells, circulating fats and in early treatment, temporary increases in liver enzymes; increases in the level of sugars in the blood and urine; increases in levels of uric acid and creatine phosphokinase in the blood; feeling more hungry; dizziness; restlessness; tremor; unusual movements (dyskinesias); constipation; dry mouth; rash; loss of strength; extreme tiredness; water retention leading to swelling of the hands, ankles or feet; fever; joint pain; and sexual dysfunctions such as decreased libido in males and females or erectile dysfunction in males.

Other uncommon side effects (may affect up to 1 in 100 people) include hypersensitivity (e.g. swelling in the mouth and throat, itching; rash); diabetes or the worsening of diabetes, occasionally associated with ketoacidosis (ketones in the blood and urine) or coma; seizures, usually associated with a history of seizures (epilepsy); muscle stiffness or spasms (including eye movements); restless legs syndrome; problems with speech; stuttering; slow heart rate; sensitivity to sunlight; bleeding from the nose: abdominal distension; drooling; memory loss or forgetfulness; urinary incontinence; lack of ability to urinate; hair loss; absence or decrease in menstrual periods; and changes in breasts in males and females such as an abnormal production of breast milk or abnormal growth.

Rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 1000 people) include lowering of normal body temperature; abnormal rhythms of the heart; sudden unexplained death; inflammation of the pancreas causing severe stomach pain, fever and sickness; liver disease appearing as yellowing of the skin and white parts of the eyes; muscle disease presenting as unexplained aches and pains; and prolonged and/or painful erection.

Very rare side effects include serious allergic reactions such as Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS). DRESS appears initially as flu-like symptoms with a rash on the face and then with an extended rash, high temperature, enlarged lymph nodes, increased levels of liver enzymes seen on blood tests and an increase in a type of white blood cells (eosinophilia).

While taking olanzapine, elderly patients with dementia may suffer from stroke, pneumonia, urinary incontinence, falls, extreme tiredness, visual hallucinations, a rise in body temperature, redness of the skin and have trouble walking. Some fatal cases have been reported in this particular group of patients.

In patients with Parkinson's disease oral olanzapine may worsen the symptoms.

Reporting of side effects

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via

Ireland:

HPRA Pharmacovigilance

website: www.hpra.ie

Malta:

ADR Reporting

website: www.medicinesauthority.gov.mt/adrportal

United Kingdom:

Yellow Card Scheme

Website: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard

or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5. How to store ZYPADHERA

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.

The injection must not be given after the expiry date which is stated on the carton.

Do not refrigerate or freeze.

Chemical and physical stability of the suspension in the vials has been demonstrated for 24 hours at 20-25 °C. From a microbiological point of view, the product should be used immediately. If not used immediately, in-use storage times and conditions prior to use are the responsibility of the user and would normally not be longer than 24 hours at 20-25°C. Do not use this product if you notice discolouration or other visible signs of deterioration.

If the medicine is not used right away, it should be shaken vigorously to re-suspend. Once withdrawn from vial into the syringe, the suspension should be used immediately.

Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help to protect the environment.

ZYPADHERA powder for prolonged release suspension for injection comes as a yellow powder in a clear glass vial. Your doctor or nurse will make it into a suspension that will be given as an injection using the vial of solvent for ZYPADHERA that comes as a clear, colourless to slightly yellow solution in a clear glass vial.

ZYPADHERA is a powder and solvent for prolonged release suspension for injection. One carton contains one vial of powder for prolonged release suspension for injection, one vial of 3 ml solvent, one syringe with safety needle, 19 gauge, 38mm, attached and three separate safety needles; one 19 gauge, 38mm needle and two 19 gauge 50mm needles.